Sarah Jane Black / 11 July 2024 / Categories: Books, Novel

The Sealed Letter by Emma Donoghue

A page turning drama packed with sex, passion and intrigue

I really like to get my teeth into a historical drama, Hilary Mantel and Joanna Trollope adorn my shelves. This book is a perfect holiday read perhaps not as meaty in terms of historical data but definitely more to it than your run of the mill Sophie Kinsella or Marion Keyes.

Briskly written, deftly plotted and nice ironic it’s the story of two friends, Fido, (Emily) a good not so pretty one who never gets the attention and a very pretty flighty married one Helen who certainly gets more attention, as a woman in Victorian England returned from an outpost in Cyprus where the rules around etiquette and infidelity are a little more loose, finds herself at the mercy of gossip around her behaviour deemed inappropriate.

Whilst married Helen is having fun with a string of lovers her friend and confidente is making waves in other quarters simply by working and being independent. The writer is very good at showing the different perceived struggles of both women based on the life paths they have individually chosen.

I haven’t actually finished it yet, about two thirds of the way through but there are several places I have already marked for their poignancy to reference later points made in such a succinct fashion they are note worthy.

“If women could shed their husbands without risk of losing their children too it’s feared that an alarming proportion would do so” given as explanation why in the case of divorce in 1864 custody of children went to husbands not wives.

Lots of nuance and reference to life for working women in Victorian England and the predecessors of the suffragette movement.

Probably more female skewed, in between hard core literature and easy reading. I think most women, regardless of age will see something of themselves in both lead characters.

The writer has cleverly shown both light and dark sides of each so as the plot unfolds you really don’t know who’s the good guy and who’s the bad, apparently it has a jaw dropping ending too.